General Players Since 2015/16

[MustardYellow]

Bored at work, so thought I'd put together a few questions about players that have been at the club from our promotion season (2015/16 season) to now.

From the 2015/16 season onwards, who has been...
1) The best signing
2) The worst signing
3) A loan player who you had high hopes for but disappointed
4) A loan player you wish we signed permanently
5) The most under-rated player
6) The most influential player/signing*
7) The worst overall player
8) The best overall player
9) Your favourite player

Can be influential for their performance on the pitch, transfer fee received etc*

 

[isibuko]

Didn’t think this through much but here are my first impressions…

1) The best signing - Roofe!
2) The worst signing - most of the crocks that Pep brought in. Maybe Agon Mehmeti?
3) A loan player who you had high hopes for but disappointed - Dan Crowley
4) A loan player you wish we signed permanently - George Baldock
5) The most under-rated player - Jake Wright maybe?
6) The most influential player/signing* - Roofe!
7) The worst overall player - Dwight Tiendalli? He was trash.
8) The best overall player - Cam Bran
9) Your favourite player - Lego

 

[bashamwonderland]

George Baldock, Jonjoe Kenny, Ricardinho and Kemar Roofe. Oh and obviously Cam Bran.

Liam Kelly, Sam Baldock, Jamie Hanson, Ivo Pekalski.

The best and worst.

 

[isibuko]

George Baldock, Jonjoe Kenny, Ricardinho and Kemar Roofe. Oh and obviously Cam Bran.

Liam Kelly, Sam Baldock, Jamie Hanson, Ivo Pekalski.

The best and worst.

I think Liam Kelly was much better than he got credit for.

 

[MustardYellow]

Didn’t think this through much but here are my first impressions…

1) The best signing - Roofe!
2) The worst signing - most of the crocks that Pep brought in. Maybe Agon Mehmeti?
3) A loan player who you had high hopes for but disappointed - Dan Crowley
4) A loan player you wish we signed permanently - George Baldock
5) The most under-rated player - Jake Wright maybe?
6) The most influential player/signing* - Roofe!
7) The worst overall player - Dwight Tiendalli? He was trash.
8) The best overall player - Cam Bran
9) Your favourite player - Lego

Dan Crowley is definitely a good shout for disappointing loan. Came with such a reputation at Arsenal.

 

[bashamwonderland]

I think Liam Kelly was much better than he got credit for.

I remember one person arguing that it's what Liam Kelly "doesn't do" which makes him so special.

Unfortunately, he couldn't pass or control a ball, he couldn't defend or attack, and he had no pace, height or strength. He is now playing for a mid table League 2 club in his prime (28 years old), which is probably his level.

 

[WEYellow]

1) The best signing - Kemar Roofe
2) The worst signing - Jamie Hanson
3) A loan player who you had high hopes for but disappointed - Jack Payne
4) A loan player you wish we signed permanently - Gorgeous George, obviously
5) The most under-rated player - Marvin Johnson
6) The most influential player/signing* - John Lundstram
7) The worst overall player - Xemi/Christian Ribeiro
8) The best overall player - Kemar Roofe
9) Your favourite player - Liam Sercombe

 

[werthersoriginal]

I remember one person arguing that it's what Liam Kelly "doesn't do" which makes him so special.

Unfortunately, he couldn't pass or control a ball, he couldn't defend or attack, and he had no pace, height or strength. He is now playing for a mid table League 2 club in his prime (28 years old), which is probably his level.

I think he could do the odd good pass. I'd argue that the fact he's still playing for Crawley implies he wasn't terrible, just not very good.

 

[isibuko]

I think he could do the odd good pass. I'd argue that the fact he's still playing for Crawley implies he wasn't terrible, just not very good.

Yeah exactly this. He was ‘fine, if a bit rubbish’ but by no means the worst player we’ve had in the past few years. Fairly sure I remember him really running a couple of games too (before fading into ‘average’ again).

 

[holdsteady]

You have to go some to beat the signing of a player for £400K on £200 grand a year 4 year deal as a centre midfielder, who then spends over half the time injured, most of the rest of time either on the bench (or not) or struggling as a cover full back, who leaves at the end of said 4 year deal to never play again at the age of 26, Hanso will probably go down as our worst ever signing let alone of the last decade.

 

[unification]

Always fun to do, these.

The best signing: Kemar Roofe – best ever player to wear a yellow shirt in the Kassam Stadium era
The worst signing: Ivo Pekalski – an expensive disaster; dishonurable mention to the four year protracted spell of Jamie Hanson
A loan player who you had high hopes for but disappointed: Ben Woodburn – not bad as such, just never quite lived up to the hype
A loan player you wish we signed permanently: George Baldock – honorable mentions to Todd Kane, Jonjoe Kenny and Conor McAleny
The most under-rated player: Phil Edwards – signed on loan to replace Christian Ribiero. Basically played every game and scored a decent number from RB.
The most influential player/signing: Chris Maguire – was a useful influence towards the back end of 2015-16 and then a pivotal figure in our consolidation season
The worst overall player: Dwight Tiendalli – Xemi was poor but netted a couple of goals; Tiendalli was just past it
The best overall player: Kemar Roofe
Your favourite player: Kemar Roofe

 

[holdsteady]

You have to go some to beat the signing of a player for £400K on £200 grand a year 4 year deal as a centre midfielder, who then spends over half the time injured, most of the rest of time either on the bench (or not) or struggling as a cover full back, who leaves at the end of said 4 year deal to never play again at the age of 26, Hanso will probably go down as our worst ever signing let alone of the last decade.

Edit.

Apparently Hanson has returned to football this season with Ilkeston United, after 8 games they have loaned him out to Long Eaton Town where he has featured 8 times. Can’t decide if this makes his signing even worse or not.

 

[unification]

Edit.

Apparently Hanson has returned to football this season with Ilkeston United, after 8 games they have loaned him out to Long Eaton Town where he has featured 8 times. Can’t decide if this makes his signing even worse or not.

I didn't know that. I thought he'd quit the game altogether.

Long Eaton Town are in the South League Central Premier division, step seven of the pyramid below NLS. Ilkeston Town are at the same level, just in the Northern League.

 

[holdsteady]

I didn't know that. I thought he'd quit the game altogether.

Long Eaton Town are in the South League Central Premier division, step seven of the pyramid below NLS. Ilkeston Town are at the same level, just in the Northern League.

After two years out maybe he just fancied doing it for fun as it’s hard to see anyone spending that long out getting back into the pro game at 28/29.

 

[m]

I remember one person arguing that it's what Liam Kelly "doesn't do" which makes him so special.

I think it was actually "the things you don't see him do".

I'm off to repeatedly hit myself with a brick; for many reasons.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think Liam Kelly was much better than he got credit for.

Really?!? I must've missed that

 

[bashamwonderland]

I think it was actually "the things you don't see him do".

I'm off to repeatedly hit myself with a brick; for many reasons.

You're right - i remember now. Only the true footballing connoisseur can appreciate Kelly's talent. Fortunately the scouts at Crawley saw something few others can, and snapped him up...

 

[Gordon]

1) The best signing - James Henry and/or Brannagan
2) The worst signing - Stuart Findlay (based on the fee we paid for him)
3) A loan player who you had high hopes for but disappointed - Ben Woodburn and/or Tyler Smith,
4) A loan player you wish we signed permanently - Herbie Kane (based on the first half of the 21/22 season) also Elliot Lee
5) The most under-rated player - Josh Ruffles (Joe Rothwell, Elliot Moore, Mark Sykes all deserve a mention)
6) The most influential player/signing* - Cameron Brannagan
7) The worst overall player - Dwight Tiendalli, (dishonourable mentions: Jamie Hanson, Xemi, Tony McMahon, Aaron Martin)
8) The best overall player - Cam Bran (James Henry in his prime 2nd, Matty Taylor 3rd)
9) Your favourite player - King Cameron Brannagan

 

[Jolteon]

1) The best signing - Roofe
2) The worst signing - Hanson
3) A loan player who you had high hopes for but disappointed - Sam Smith, not helped by how annoyingly decent he is now
4) A loan player you wish we signed permanently - Baldock
5) The most under-rated player - Ruffels
6) The most influential player/signing* - Brannagan
7) The worst overall player - Tiendalli, Xemi, Van Kessel, Mehmeti all utterly useless
8) The best overall player - Brannagan
9) Your favourite player - Brannagan, but a rogue shout for Ricardinho too

 

[Mad Dog]

The Best signing: ROOFE - Huge excitement around the club when we signed him, and it was a signing that was integral to our success that season.

The worst signing: HANSON - Nearly went for Pekalski, but we never got to see him play, so we don't even know what might've been with him, but we know Hanson was a pathetic crock, and he was crap as well, so he gets the nod from me.

Most disappointing loan: HOLLAND - I hoped he was gonna be as inspirational a loan signing as Roofe was, but he turned out to be an absolute fraud of a footballer.

Loan player I wish we'd managed to sign: BALDOCK - It was pretty obvious that he was destined to play at the top level, so never really thought we'd be able to keep him, but was still totally gutted when he was recalled, coincidently by none other than then MK Dons manager KR, the c**t.

Most under-rated player: SKARZ - A no frills but very effective left back, who I always felt never really got the recognition or appreciation he deserved, but who none the less was a consistently solid performer, who never let us down, and even played through injury to help our promotion cause towards the end of that season.

Most influential player/signing: ROOFE - It was the signing that really got the ball rolling, and the whole club and fans buzzing, and probably influenced many of the other quality signings we made that summer to sign for us, and his performances that season really inspired and influenced the team, everyone at the club, and in the stands to enjoy what to this day has been the most enjoyable season since the 95/96 promotion season.

The worst overall player: TIENDALLI - OK so he was past it, but my god, he was absolute shite, and looked like he'd never played the game before.

The best overall player: HENRY - Pure class and talent, a really intelligent player, with fantastic ball control, and could manoeuvre the ball in such tight situations, a fantastic passer and crosser of the ball, and a great finisher, scoring over 50 goals for the club, and nearly making it into the top 10 goalscorers of all time for the club. If only his decision making could've been better on a couple of occasions!

Favourite player: Brannagan - What a great servant he's been to our club, especially as he's had opportunities to push for a move, but has always stayed, as he genuinely wants success with us, and it's clear to see how much the club means to him. He may not have the talent of Henry (who was a close 2nd) but he's always 100% committed in games, and has scored some great goals, and dealt admirably with some very high pressure moments from penalties, with a total so far of nearly 50 goals for the club, a great achievement. Along with the commitment he's shown to the club, the club have also shown great care and support to him when he had his serious problems with his eyesight. A rare thing in the modern game, for a non homegrown player to move to a club at such a young age, and spend the majority of his career there. Here's hoping he stays for many more years to come...

Now, back to work...